


The mechanic and the pea

by Bill_Longbow



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Alternate Universe - No Powers, But it will be okay!, Fluff, Implied character death off screen, M/M, Mechanic Tony Stark, Steve Rogers Needs a Hug, Which is why Steve is sad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-13
Updated: 2018-02-13
Packaged: 2019-03-17 19:49:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13666089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bill_Longbow/pseuds/Bill_Longbow
Summary: He pushed back the tears of frustration that threatened to well. He was a grown man, and grown men did not cry by the wayside. Grown man kicked their stupid, good for nothing, buckets of bolts to vent their anger.OrSteve goes on a roaddtrip but soon finds himself in need of a mechanic.





	The mechanic and the pea

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the fairytale bingo prompt:
> 
> The prince(ss) and the pea.
> 
> It's not beta-ed, so if you spot anything please let me know, and comments are always welcome!

He pushed back the tears of frustration that threatened to well. He was a grown man, and grown men did not cry by the wayside. Grown man _kicked_ their _stupid_ , good for _nothing_ , _buckets_ of _bolts_ to vent their anger.   
  
He felt a little better after kicking the back wheel of his bike a few times. The thing was much too heavy to be impressed by his antics, standing immovable in the dirt. He sighed. He had tried to look at the engine, but it was too overcast to have a good look. Besides, he only had rudimentary knowledge of motorcycle maintenance and this probably went beyond what he could accomplish on the side of the road.   
  
Because his phone battery had died when he used it as a flashlight there was nothing for it. He had to push the darn thing to a garage. He did some upper body stretches before donning his backpack and pushing the bike of its stand and onto the road.   
  
After what he guessed must have been about a mile he put the wretched vehicle on its stand again and sat down. He hadn't come across any traffic on this road for the last hour and a half, even though it should lead him to a small town, if his map reading skills weren't failing him as well. He wiped his forehead on his knees and drank the last of his water. Sitting still, the wind quickly chilled the sweat he had worked up and he shivered in his coat. He could hear Bucky admonishing him for setting out without proper preparation. He shook his head as if he could get rid of the phantom voice before jumping up and putting the bike on the lock. If he wanted to get to town before nightfall he had better hurry.   
  
It took him nearly half an hour to reach the outskirts of the village, and luck was finally with him, because the first building he encountered was a garage. The lights were on, and despite it being almost seven the little sign on the door said 'open'. From inside music could be heard, and when he opened the door he was greeted by a warm voice singing along. The man the voice belonged to obviously hadn't heard the little bell when Steve entered, so he called out.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
The singing stopped at the same time a thump was heard, followed by muffled cursing. Steve took a few steps into what seemed to be a little office area, with a door leading to the workshop.   
  
"Coming!" The voice yelled over the music, followed by more muttering.   
  
Steve looked around as he waited. The office was small but neat, with a few comfortable chairs, a desk and a filing cabinet. On the wall were the mandatory licenses as well as a picture of two young men in graduation gowns hugging each other sideways. The music cut out and Steve stepped back from where he was examining the picture when hurried footsteps came his way.   
  
In the doorway appeared what was obviously the mechanic, wearing a red overalls and wiping his grease stained hands on a rag, looking at it while he spoke.   
  
"If you're here for the Jag, Justin, I will tell you _again_ \-- Oh, hello…"  
  
Steve didn't put much stock in love at first sight stories, God knew his life had been anything but a fairytale. So he explained the bolt of electricity that ran through his body like a life wire when their eyes met to stepping into the warmth after trotting in the crisp night air for a while. The fact that the man's gaze left him momentarily speechless was because he was tired, okay? He had hardly slept a wink the last week, so stepping into a warm space had turned his brains into cotton candy. And the way it felt like a soft caress when the man's eyes roved over his body was just his imagination and frankly darn silly.   
  
He startled out of his reverie when the man smiled at him and stuck out his mostly clean hand. "Tony Stark, and aren't you a sight for sore eyes? Be a dear and turn that sign to closed, won't you? Probably won't stop that weasel from barging right in, but one can always hope."  
  
Slightly dazed Steve continued to hold the man's hand during this speech, until the man, _Tony_ , smirked at him while waiting. Steve pulled back his hand as if burnt, mumbling his name and quickly turned around to change the sign, while Bucky cackled in the back of his head.   
  
Taking a deep breath he felt composed enough to engage the mechanic, who had sat down behind the desk and jotted something down.  
  
"What can I do for you Steve? Can I call you Steve? Mister Rogers gives me flashbacks, though I wouldn't mind you as a neighbour."   
  
Steve felt himself blush when Tony winked at him, but the man was nice enough not to comment on it. Come on, Rogers, get it together.   
  
"Err, Steve. Steve is good."  
  
"I'll bet." Tony was outright grinning now, before holding out his hands. "Sorry, sorry, it's been a long day, my brain to mouth filter is lacking. I'm sure you got better things to do than being harassed by your friendly neighbourhood mechanic. What do you need, Steve?"  
  
"It's my bike, broke down on me a little while back. I err, I need it. To drive. Obviously." He sighed and smiled. "Had a long day as well, so, words..." He waved in the general direction of his face while shrugging, to indicate more words should be coming from around there, but flat out refused to.   
  
When Tony smiled back at him, not a smirk, but a genuine nice smile, Steve felt some of the fatigue drain away. It was just the knowledge that his bike would be repaired soon and he could find a place to sleep, he told himself firmly.   
  
"Let us get your bike then, I'll be just a sec." Tony darted into the workshop and was back before Steve was done with a breathing exercise. Waiting left him antsy nowadays, with too many horrible directions his mind could wander if left unattended. It helped if he focused on his breathing.   
  
His breath hitched in his throat when he opened his eyes and saw Tony had changed into a low hanging jeans, a band tee and short leather jacket. The outfit accented his physique in all the right places, and, yeah, Steve couldn't pretend he was unaffected anymore. Tony didn't seem to notice, luckily, absentmindedly patting his pockets and puttering around in search for keys and whatnot.   
  
"Ready," he announced with another sunshine smile and Steve resigned himself to the fact he was a goner. Bucky gave him a mental pat in commiseration.  
  
The ride to the bike only took a couple of minutes in Tony's pickup, and was spent with Steve explaining exactly what had happened when the bike broke down.   
  
When they got to his bike Steve was secretly relieved it was still there. Tony whistled appreciatively. "That's a beauty, Steve!"  
  
He circled the bike and cooed. "What did he do to you, huh, princess?" He dropped to his haunches next to the engine and fished a flashlight out of his pocket, which he held between his teeth as he set to work.   
  
Steve hurried over. "Here, let me." He took the light and shone where Tony directed. Sitting so close was... kinda nice actually, he was sad it only lasted a minute.   
  
"Sorry, Steve, it doesn't look like I can fix it on the go. Do you mind if I take her with me for a closer inspection?" He didn't really wait for an answer, opening the tailgate of his truck and jumping on the flatback to get ropes.   
  
"Don't worry, I've transported motorcycles before, she's save with me," he smiled as he jumped down. "Only hassle is getting her up there, but you look like you could bench press me, so I think we'll manage."  
  
Steve rolled his eyes, but was amused by Tony's antics, now that he was getting a little used to him. Together they managed to lift the bike onto the truck, and secure it to the large metal rings on the sides.   
  
When they were back Tony got straight to work, offering Steve a soda and a place on the one comfortable chair in the workshop. Steve settled down to read, but his fingers itched to draw Tony, who was taking apart the  bike after trying to start her and listening intently to the sounds it made. Or didn't make in Steve's opinion. Tony muttered to himself a lot while he worked, or to the bike, and it was adorable, no other word for it. Steve wasn't in the habit of finding men adorable. Attractive, yes, handsome, sure, but adorable? But his mother had instilled in him a belief that all things happened for a reason (a belief that had been shaken to the core the day that Bucky drove onto that IED), so he gave in and fished a pencil and his sketchbook from his pack, trying to capture Tony on paper.   
  
He was so immersed in his drawing he didn't notice Tony was done. "I'm sorry, Steve. It's the electric starter, you need a new one, but I don't have these in stock." Tony was wiping his hands again while he walked over. Steve was just quick enough to close the book. "I need to order it, and it usually takes about two or three days."  
  
Steve felt hollow at this news. "Oh. Okay then." He started to pack his belongings into his backpack. He had to find a place to sleep, he had bothered Tony long enough, poor guy hadn't even had dinner yet. "I err, do you know somewhere I can stay?"   
  
"Well." For the first time Tony looked unsure what to say, which cemented his adorable status in Steve's mind. "I'm sure you had better plans than hanging out with a lowlife mechanic, but I'm afraid I can only offer you my couch? There's a big wedding this week on one of the estates and all rooms in the vicinity are booked." Tony shrugged apologetically. "It's a fold out, so you should be able to fit with you ridiculously long legs," he added with a grin. "And I got frozen pizzas," he singsonged. "Best deal to be had, Rogers, prepare to be wowed."  
  
Steve realised Tony was actually hoping he would stay, just like he felt relief he didn't have to go. He smiled at Tony as he stood up from the couch. "How could I possibly decline an offer like that?"  
  
  
  
The evening they spent together was the nicest since... Tony couldn't recall. Probably from before he moved out here. Finding Steve in his office when he was afraid it was that good for nothing Hammer again had been a delightful surprise. He had been instantly enamoured by the tongue tied man, not to mention he wanted to climb him like a tree, because hot damn...   
  
The offer to let him stay was sincere though, he felt sorry for Steve. It obviously was a blow that his bike broke down on him, and if Tony wasn't mistaken he had some bad times recently. There was no way he wouldn't have offered him his couch.   
  
Once Steve loosened up a bit he turned out to be a lot of fun. He didn't seem to mind Tony's verbal diarrhoea, and started making jokes as well. He was tight lipped about where he came from and what brought him here, but that was alright. They settled on telling jokes and talking about everyday things.  

After dinner, Tony helped Steve make the fold out bed, and where he used to offer something more back in the day (that couch had seen a lot of action), he now gave Steve a warm smile and wished him good night.  
  
He couldn't quite catch sleep. Unfolding the couch had dragged up painful memories that refused to leave him alone in the dark. On the other side of the wall he heard Steve tossing and turning. He got up and silently went into the sitting room/kitchen, pretending to get a glass of water. At an annoyed sigh he walked back to the bedroom.   
  
"Sorry to bother you, won't happen again."  
  
"No, don't worry, couldn't sleep. It's like there's something poking in my side, couldn't get comfortable," Steve replied, rubbing his face with one hand.   
  
"Wait, I've got this thin mattress camping style thingy somewhere." Tony went and rummaged in the large cupboard over the stairs he used to store things he rarely used. When he came back he did a double take, Steve was bent over the couch, patting it down. His old man briefs did nothing to hide anything, and why would one sleep in a too small t-shirt? Tony peeled his lower jaw off the floor and went over with the camping mattress.  
  
"Sorry, didn't realise it would be this lumpy, haven't slept on it in ages." Together they put the mattress on and Tony stifled the urge to tuck Steve in.  
  
"Thanks, Tony, I'm sure I'll be fine now," Steve smiled at him and just. Wow.   
  
"I'll err, I'm just here," Tony pointed behind him while backing away towards the door of his room, "if you need me." He quickly shut the door behind him and leant against it. Very smooth there, Tony, very smooth.   
  
He got back under the covers, but couldn't sleep. He could hear Steve was still restless, turning every other minute and muttering under his breath, getting up and rearranging the pillows, and moving around on the couch again. Tony gave himself an hour. Coming out again after an hour wasn't creepy right? He just... needed to pee, that was it. Not to check on his gorgeous guest with skimpy clothing. He couldn't help his apartment was so tiny.  
  
He tried to make as little sound as possible, but when he walked by the couch his gaze fell on Steve's face and two blue eyes stared back at him. He made an aborted motion with his head and hurried to the toilet.  
  
"Still not comfortable?" He asked when he was back and was washing his hands in the kitchen sink.   
  
"I'm sorry I'm such a bother, I hope I'm not keeping you from your sleep?"   
  
"Ehh, don't worry, I've had worse nights. Wanna try some more pillows? Maybe if we put them under the extra mattress?"  
  
Together they put enough pillows and cushions on the couch for the extra mattress to be level with the backrest.   
  
"Go on, try it, I'm not leaving until you're comfortable, you're too polite to call me if you're not." Tony waited with his hands on his hips as Steve clambered onto the bed mountain, which was a sight to behold and thank goodness he wore he loose fitting flannel pajama bottoms.   
  
"And?"   
  
"It's good now." Steve tried to lay relaxed, but Tony saw that he was faking it.   
  
"No you're not, off, off!" He waved with his arms for emphasis.   
  
When Steve was on that ground Tony tore off the mattress and all the pillows, the couch's cushion were next. He had a sneaking suspicion what was wrong, and if he was right then... He turned on the ceiling light and went over the base of the couch on his hands and knees until he spotted it.   
  
"Aha!"  
  
Wedged between two boards was a pea. Not just any pea, but a magic pea, if the old lady at the carnival were to be believed. Teenage him had been extremely lonely, and had hoped against hope the old lady was right. He had carried the thing with him for years, until he forgot about it. Apparently it had fallen out of his pocket one time and wedged itself here.   
  
Steve came closer and examined the thing.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
Tony pried it out of its resting place and held it between thumb and forefinger. "This, dear Steve, is a miracle!"  
  
"It is?" Steve reached out to touch it, but when their fingers met it was like a magic spell zinged to life, which, Tony supposed later, it did.   
  
From the point where their fingers met it felt like warm water quickly spread over his body, covering him in a warm, fuzzy feeling. By the widening of Steve's eyes it seemed like he felt it too. Their gazes locked, and it was like time slowed down. In slow motion Steve took hold of the hand that was holding the pea, and Tony reached for Steve's shoulder with his other hand. Tony used the leverage to stand on his tiptoes while Steve bent down and cupped Tony's cheek with his free hand. Their first kiss was barely a kiss at all, only a featherlight touching of their lips. When Tony pulled away he was met with such a wide eyed look of wonder he _had_ to kiss Steve again. And again, and again, increasingly less chaste, until they finally pulled back to catch their breath, foreheads touching and both smiling so wide it hurt.   
  
They spent the night in Tony's bed. Smiling, touching, kissing. When Tony told Steve how the pea was supposed to be magic, and would lead Tony to his 'one true love' Steve laughed and asked him if that made him Prince Charming and Tony a damsel in distress. Tony had to shut him up with more kisses of course.   
  
This tale would often be recounted on family gatherings (they didn't know it yet, but they would adopt no less than four kids together, and amass a huge amount of grandchildren), even long after they had both passed away. And everyone always agreed they had lived happily ever after. 

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hi on [Tumblr](http://bill-longbow.tumblr.com)!


End file.
